Temporary implantable medical leads may be used to evaluate the efficacy of stimulation (e.g., neurostimulation) prior to implanting chronically implantable systems within a patient. For example, as a treatment for urinary incontinence, patients may be implanted with a trial percutaneous nerve evaluation (PNE) lead to evaluate the efficacy of sacral nerve stimulation.
Temporary leads may migrate, potentially causing the lead to lose the ability to deliver effective therapy. As a result, higher non-responder rates can occur in patients receiving the temporary lead compared to patients receiving a permanent pacing lead to evaluate the efficacy of stimulation.